The Sun. — London, England, 1818-03-21 00:00:00

THE CATHOLIC CLAIMS. FOR THE SUN. ADDRESS AND APPEAL OF THE ROMAN CATHO LICS OF IRELAND TO THEIR PROTESTANT BRE 111REN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND. LETTER XT!i. MR. EDITOR,-1 hive so far redeemed my pledge to you and to the Public, as to have brought under your view the principal topics of this most extraordinary though characteristic document of the Irish lion Lin Catholic Claimants ; and although much remains to be said upon the subject, and much still challenges our en quiry, I shall not for the present trespass hitcher on your time, than with a few closing observa tions of a general reference, upon the result of our investigation. It is my intention however, %vitt' your permis sion, from tittre to time, as new occurrences, or new schemes of deceptive policy arise, to contti hute my humble but zealous efforts towards the support or those principles to which Our country stands indebted for the foundation of her Con stitution, and for the continuance of those bless ings which have from the period of the Revolu tion grown and accumulated around it. Surely, Sir, it were enough to ;wove the insince rity of these Papal Appellants that they affect to ground their right to an equal participation of privilege and power upon the identity of princi ples, both in a spiritual and political semse, with tho-e of the Protestants. Do men ever descend to dotvori4l,t olis-siatemervs, or every to equivc Cation, who are not actuated by sini,ter motives ? Blnst not deception' be intended where men hold out false colours ! Is there a document, whether taken front the highest source of Councils, or 'from the preceptive and doctrinal writings of the Roman Catholic Doctors, down to their humblest scribes and pamphleteers, which does not express abhorrence and detestation of the damnable He- resies of Protestants—that breathes not anathemas and persecution against the " unaturol Rebellion, (to adopt their own expression) of that rotten -branch, the Church of England,"—which does not teach the duty of extirpating, and utterly rooting tip and destroying it Yet with these universally upon record—with these authoratative tcstinumies, not merely to the discordance of the two- systems, but to their utter and peifec: inconsis►ency, to► their incapability of ever being amalgamated with each other, or even approximating towards each other ; the appellants, who are the avowed slaves to the DICTA of Popes, and who hallow the De crees of Councils as. ". THE WORD or GOD," avow and declare in this their Public Manifesto, that the identity of principles is the ground of their pro posed union with their " Protestant BRETHREN," and the plea for their admission to Legislative Power, and the great Executive Offices of the State ! Nay, that their admission to these high privileges and functions is essential to the State, in order to give efficacy and energy to principles thus common to Papists and Protestants ! Never, truly, was there an instance of an af. front so gross, so audacious, publicly offered to the understandings of a nation of enlightened men ! We have heard CorBETT, and HUNT, and WTAITNMAN et hoc genus °nine, talk of their love and attachment to the Constitution. The mass of mankind simply smile at their nonsense, al though an effect may for a time be produced upon an ignorant and undiscerniug rabble! But that the Roman Catholics in a body should dare, in -defiance of the volumes piled on volumes, autho rities upon authorities, Canons, Councils, Balls, Decretals, and Rescripts, which are open, upon their own authority, to every reading man in the United Kingdom, profess themselves to he the Brothers of their Protestant countrymen, the pro fessors of the same Creeds, Doctrines, and nearly the same Ritual—and the supporters of the same Political Principles, principles which are essentially Protestant, is an effort of effrontery which 1 re peat, upon my conscience, 1 believe to he without parallel in the history of mankind, and even in their own records of Jesuitical Casuistry, , or the abominations of Francolin or Le Moine ! ! I am fearful of being tedious, even in selecting few from the mass of authorities which must set all cavil at rest upon this head,—but the fol lowing extracts will shew, if the usual attempt be made to throw hack these authorities to remote times (as if this with a true son of the Roman Catholic Church could have any power of inva . lidating them), that the Papists of Ireland at this moment do hold, maintain, and enforce, the same doctrines al their fathers and forefathers, to the remotest period of their antiquity, The first shall produce is from a Itomish Catechism, now used throughout Ireland, entitled, " The most Reverend Dr. JAMES BUTLER'S Catechism, revised, enlarged, approved, and tecommended by the four Roman CatlinliC AtclibisLopi of Ireland, is a g‘z neral-Catechistu FOR THIS Ni NGDOM. " Q. Where are true Christiaus to be found ? " A. Only in the true church. " Q. How do you call•ac true church P " A. The Holy Catholic Churcb (viz. The Ro. man Catholic.) "Q. Are ALL obliged to be of the TRUE CHURCH ? " A. Yes—No ONE CAN BE SAVED OUT OF IT ! ! ! " Q. Which are the marks of the true church ? " A. The tree Church is one, Holy Catholic and Apostolical! ‘‘ Q. Why do yon call THE. CHURCH nOrnal? " A. Because the visilde Head of the Church is Bi s h o p o f R o m e , A nd because St. Peter and his Successors fixed their Sec in Rome." Is there, Sir, any thing ambiguous or illusory in this ?—I( is all tangible matter, and Le who runs may read ! No forensic sophistry or senato rial declamation, no rapuusiug metaphysical cant of the Edinburgh Review, can do this away—z Ere poennius, it was, it ia , and must be the doctrine of Popery till Papal Lome is no more. But listen, Sir, to one short extract more. It is front the Service usrd by Dr. Taoy, the present Homan Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, iu ccnsecrating two Bidwps in EI,C YEAR 1815. Question from the Arc'ihishop.—" Btlievest thou that the Holy Catholic and ApostolicalChureh is the one true Church, iu which the one true Baptism is given, and the true liemission of all Sins ? " A. I believe. " Q. Moreover, dolt thou ACCURSE every heresy which lifteth itself up against the HOLY CATHOLIC CHURCH ? "A. I ACCURSE THEM ! !" It would be a waste of words to pursue the subject further. But, Sir, it has been Said, aye, 311 Ii repeated over and over again in the speeches and reviews of the EMANCIPATION FANATICS, that the runtish Church, enlightened by the progress of science, is in our day very different from that Citurch, which, at the period of the Reformation, ( - trove all rational and pious Christians into a se paration from her. The Bigotry imputed to this Church is actually transferred to those Protestants who dare raise their voices, in unison with the Papists themselves, in declaring that no change has taken place, or can take place, in their prin ciples,—because the corner stone of the building, the first among those principles, is their Immuta bility and Unchangeableness, their chosen and appropriate device Semper eadem !! But what, Sir, was the great operating Cause, the, last weight which raised the leaver, and effected that most glorious of human revolutions, the REFOR MATION ? Was it not the Sale (rf Indulgences under LEO X. ? Have these evils, these follies, these corruptions, faded away under the in fluence of a more enlightened era You shall hear. I will give the extract entire, Es it is re corded in a work to which I request your Readers again to refer (" The Dangers with which Great UI itain and Ireland are now menaced," &c.) forms part of its most valuable Appendix. The Titular Bishop of Cork, Dr. Movt.ANT, on a late occasion, followed the pions7examplc of Pope Lco X., and issued a Declaration of Plenary Indulgence and Jubilee for the building a Romish Cathedral it the City of Cork. The pastoral Let ter in which this Cork Popish Titular Bishop pro mulgated the. Pope's 801 l of plenary Indulgence, well deserves the attention of the British Public. In this Bull of Indulgence, THE PRESENT POPE not only excuses front temporal Censures, but from the future Punishments of Sin in the world to- come, by distributing, at his discretion, the, Divine For gicenes ; and he informs the Roman Catholics in the County of Cork, that his Indulgence shell be applicAble to the SOULS IN PURGATORY !" The pastoral Letter of tl►e Cork Mahon calls this Indulgence of the Yore " an inestimable Grace," and then proceeds to the Terms upon which it is to he granted. " In order (says he) to gain this plenary In dulgence, it is necessary to be truly penitent, to make a good Confession, and to receive worthily the Holy Conintor ;to assist at least eight tittles in the pious Exercises, and to 'offer up for sonic time to God, in a Visit to the Cathedral, pions and fervent Prayers for :he PROPAGATION Of the Holy Catholic Faith (weaning Popery), and To THE INTENTION OF OUR LIOLY FATHER, THE Pot's, five Paters and five Ares, and a Creed, to the ABOVE I NTENTiON, will ful f il the Obligation." This is the Pri ce , united with a Subscription to the object in view, of Remission, Absolution, and For giveness from the actual commission of every deadly Sin. The pecuniary purchase was,reduced as low as Twopence per head for a Pauper Sinner, and the Bishop adds, " Were your sins as red as scarlet, by TUC GRACE of this Absolution, and the application of this plenary ludalgence, your souls shall be as white as snow !" The consequence was such as might be expect ed. This pastoral letter was publicly real in every Roman Catlinlie chapel and place of ‘vor ship in the County of Cork (which the Bishop calls his Diocese), on lour successive Sundays, ending on the sth of December—not in 1513 not itl6l3—but in 1813 !! ! The jubilee lasted for about a month, and many accidents- occurred, ott account of the "proiligious numbers" who came from all parts of the country--arid, the two_ pennies collected front the pauper Community amounted, it is said, to a large SIIIII. So much for the fact. Hear now, then, the doctrine and opinion of the learned and able defender of Po pery, at this hour living in the midst of us, whose work issues under the especial authority of the present Pope and College of Cardinals, and is by theta declared to be " worthy to be cased in cedar and in gold." 1111. Gandolphy informs us, that " the pious sentiment which actuated Pope Leo X. in raising a vast sum of money by the sale of a plenary indulgence, was the wish to pay for tire building of such a cathedral es should prove that the Disciples of our Redeemer were become LORDS OF THE UNIVERSE." Now, Sir, 1 here put the simple question to the good sense of the People of this Country, whether they will belie►•e the Pope, the Curt& nAls, and the Popi3h Prie,thoo,l .of t h e p r e. sent day upon the nature and character of their own doctrines and principles, or w•hether they will take them upon the representation of Mr. " the tilde horn" of Edinburgh, and the sceptic band of Dinner Pensioners at 11----d House JEFFF.fiti, There is but one topic more adduced by the Roman Catholic Appellants upon which 1 shall slightly touch before 1 finally drop the curtain upon them. They express themselves highly in dignant at the supposition (which supposition, Ly the way, is warranted by their own avowed and nucancelled documents), that their oaths are not binding when pledged to hereti c s " The inde cency (say they) of this charge is not less glaring than its falsehood 1" P 1 ett.: strong language this, in a conciliatory appeal to the parties thus impli cated. "If (they continue) we entertained no regard for the obligatb;os of an oath, 8:c. we could readily accompli•h our political ettianc;pa tintt, by snbscribing to the oaths and declara tions which are stibscribed to by our Protestant brethren, and which alone render them eligible to offices and honours, in prelerence to Roman Catholics !" In order to prove that the charge brought for ward by the Protestants is as free front indecency as it is from falsehood, it is only necessary to re fer to ducument4 with which th e Homan Catho lics them se lv e s have futnished us. For testimony to thelact, I beg to refer your readers to the his tory of the Romish Church in every period of its history, under the head of indulgencies, and gene ral absolutions ! Pope Plus VI. in the year MI, certainly did deny, upon a political emergency, that Faith was nut to be kept with Heretics, which he conde scendingly, for the occasion, softens down to he terodox persons. but Ttt s Poem, is for ever bound, and cannot alienate the duty, << to to the least tittle the whole system of Faith handed down to him." Ile " swears 'o preserve unchanged to the least tittle, to defend even to blood, and to preach the Faith as delivered by the eight General Councils, and those -0 f Lateran, Constance, 8;e." (Conc. Const. Sess. 39-I;asil, :Sets. 37). Ile is hound by the Divine Authority of Councils to maintain, that " Oaths of Allegianre, if sworn when the Prince is a heretic, are nullities, and if sworn before he becomes an heretic, cease to be obligatory when THE PAPAL ABSOLUTION FROM THEIR OBLIGA TION SHALL BB DULY GIVEN !" The governing pria. ciple of Catholicism is asserted to be 7H E BENE FIT OF THE Cnottcn (the UTILITAS ECCLESIASTI CA, in t.h& language of the Rimiish Ecclesiastical Doctors) which " is to be determined by the proper famish Ecclesiastical Authority." It is therefore neither indecent nor false to as sert, that the oaths of the Roman Catholics may be liable to suspicion, since the opinion of their sanctity may be affected by tin authority which Protestants do not own, 'and which intervenes between the direct appeal from man to his Maker But to recur to the inference (Ira Win by th e ap pellants; or rather which they desire us to draw, that the sacred observance of a particular oath being the only impediment to their due participa. tion of legislative privileges and political power, a similar obligation most of course bind their con sciences with respect to all other oaths; we deny the consequence, and we deny it upon the very ground which they assume for its defence. The oath of supremacy to THE POPE cannot be dispensed with, even by THE POPE himself It is au ARTICLE OF FAITH defined and declared Ilion the divine au thority of Councils! It is sacred and indispensable! and so declared, and so rendered valid and bind ing upon the mimi and conscience of every Roman Catholic, by the very self-same authority, and by the same decrees of the same Councils, which render every oath subscribed or taken with here-tics subject, at the discretion of THE POPE, to be dictated VA LID or NULL. Hear the eVidence from their own mouths z----" They are nut to be called OATHS, but rather PERJURIES, which are attempted against the benefit of THE CHURCH (` qua contra atiluatem ec clesiasticam attentantur') ; for such an oath cannot bind; in which the right of the superior should be SUPPOSED TO BE EXCEPTED. It ought to be so understood that it should not oppose A RIGHT (a superior right or• canonical sanction) ; otherwise, as being a rash oath, IT DOES NOT OBLIGE 1" Thus speaks the Romtsu CANON LAW (Decretal 50 I. ii. tit. 24. cep 27.—et cap. ID et 21. ad host ) While these Popish canons have the force and anthority of Dirine coninwnds, and are, with every Roman Catholic, articles of faith and the express test of obedience to the visible [lead of their Church, tinder THE OATH OF SUPREMACY, what, we may fairly ask, would become of the obliga tion of THE OATH OF ALLEGIANCE to the Sove ,eign of these Realms, ur of any oaths in confirm ation of it, IF the Romish Ecclesiastical autho rity should pronounce them to be against the belie .f t of the Church—" CONTRA UTILITATIZM ECCLE SIASTICANI If it be supposed that these Decrees of • the Popish Councils ate a dead letter, 0r the anathe mas of the Popish Priesthood a mere brutain Jul men, let the following statement speak for itself —" At the Spring Assizes of the County of Ty tone, held at Onwgh in 1811, two persous were convicted of having administered the following oath to 500 of the lu%yer classes of the Homan Catholics in that county, and in the towns of Ar magh, Dundalk, Castle Blaney, and Newtown Hamilton I do swear, in the presence of the blessed Lady Mary, that I will maintain OUR HOLY sLELIGION, by destroying heretics, as far as my power and propel ty will go (not one exceioted), a nd also that I will assist my brethren in every under taking against heretics, EIS COMMANDED 111' OUR HOLY FATHERS. I do further ssNear, that 1 ant now become a Rae Defender and Ido further , swear, that 1 will be ready in twelve hours warn ing to put our GLORIOUS DESIGNS in execution against HERETICS of every sort. So help me God in this oath. Sanct. >lll. P. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears ‘f the deaf un stopped. S. F. C. Isaiah xxxv. 5.' " Ferbunt non an:plias. L.INFRANC. ",1 I LS. ARRIVED—I Dtlbsll, ll3oilaud, t Flanders. DtTE-1 lei ford, I Guernsey and Jersey, 1 Lisbon, 1 France, Hatabargh. PitICE OF STOCKS DAY AT TWELVE o'ct.,,cfc. 3 per Cent. Z, 78i 1 Ex. B. 2d, I Us.i 35.155. 133. Pr' 5 per Ct. N. Ann... 1053 ilo(it Ditto, 21d. l4s. IBs. Pt' India Bonds. 935. SOs. 925. pr. j Cons. for Account, 7BO HIC4I WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE TO-MORROW. Morning, 2 iniuutes idt,f 2. I EVeHing, '27 imuutcs after Tlit' SUN. sor.v EKE lALSUM AUIIE tr I,t_) 1)0N, maricri 21, 1813. 'l'l►e Paris Papers of Wednesday last, whit Were due morni►►g, t►ave not come to hand. The Pntscg REGtNT has slignified his intention to attend Divi ne S et v i ce i n t h e Ch ape l !l oya l o' St..hincs's to-morrow, for the purpose of ing the example of our venerable Monarch ill making the usual Easter Offerings. We find that the KING of Fa.xxce, if we nof depend on the French Papers, has actually re-cog -7 BEIINADUTTE as the Sovereign of SwEDEN .We sincerely hope - the report that the other fa" tentates of Europe are likely to follow his example is unfounded, and that they will reflect on rbe consequences of giving such a stab to legitituat e Sovereignty. As to the King of FttAxcE, we co" - ceive that he has been reluctantly driven 10 measure that will shake the stability of all thronel• What would he have thought of the Btitisb No' narelt, if he had with equal precipitation acknow' !edged the usurpation of BUONAPART U On the throrl of France. Nothing in our opinio4l could be wore disgraceful to Sweden than a tame submission 1 4 ° this Upstart, even were its lawful Monarch lend h family ,not existence. Deeply, indeed, 5 103 we deplore the melancholy fact, if it should lYe found that the Government of this Country is not the very last to give such a sanctio" Ic° usurpation, after all that noble perseverance i►t support of legititilate tgldts Which incited other States to follow its glorious example, which re•'' stored the French Ai onarch to the Throne of ,Ancestors, and ended in , extending the blessings of peace and security to .the rest of Europe NEW Co.LITION.—A Meetin, it is said, lia' s taken place among the old and new Candidate' for the honour of representing the Cities of Luro li '' l and Westminster, and they have entered into 4 Coalition which appears to be sat4factory to ng the Parties. If we are tightly info:riled, it 1 " 1 been determined that Sir FRANCIS BCRDETr 2114 Lord COCHRANE ar e t o b e l e f t i n quiet pasSeSi"ll at Westminster, and that in return they have pro: mired to exert all their influence and personal" efforts, in order to secure the Election of M essrs' WAITHMAN, IVOOLER, LIoNE, and tic NT 01 ' 41) : City. At the intended meeting in Palace on Monday next, some of the particulars of uvl ' icit arc mentioned in another part of our Paper this day, it is expected that the plan will be fully ' e ' veloped for that purpose, and Major C . 4141.- wit WIIT, it is said, has promised that his oi)eni"; Speech shall not occupy more than flee hours a g half. We present our Iteoders this day with cite last of that admirable Series of LETTERS s ;g ile LANFRANC, which, we con ce i ve , h ave e ffectwi ll / r refuted the pretensions of the PAPtsTs to far tber concessions on the . part of Governm ent , and " . '" cls must have convinced all who are open to C" vic i : ;ion of the d anger w hi c h might attend suc i concessions. W e h ave t h e pl easure to 81 .7 that though this Series Of Letters has en de we are priunised the a s s i stance of the 11 ' 0 4 lent ned, pious, and eloquent Writer, ti r e . every occasion in which the interests of our rivalled Establishment in Chute!! and Stare lea sur. , i demand his att ent i on . We learn w i t h p that these letters will be collected and pu blish of togeth er , a nd they w ill certa i nly constitute 0., of the firm Pillars of the PROT ESTANT ASCM4 ANCY. (From The New ) ork. . 7 1.1rertiser rf Feb. l ' ) O l e The followin g i s a correct S tatemen t of no 111 her of E ln i grants arr i ve d at the r° ll3 to Philadelphia and New Yolk, front JanuarY December 3I , 1817 : •, f 053 From En g la n d, I n l an d, and ScOland—At Philadeiphß t ils3 4 Du. du. du. New York : 0 Philaddliii"*. ' 674 1' CFI nce w • 30, Holland and GuAnany Do. do. British Possessions in North Awerica Do. du. do. The West Indies genet - 01r Do. do. lt c Italy au;! Spain Do. do. . .111 other Cuunttits Do. etc Total at Philadelphia.. 7 0 8 :5 -.lNi: :11(11' ckliii):111 • 47; 633716:7;64: Service iu :1;:r attended L c , "I . 11, . lie; -Z:t ° igt `'f 3 I bo Sail, Lis' hot, vr 4t 'l tlr_ i 114 lv . .!1 i er,i th e ti,e C C c►~ Alill,